What Lurks In The Shadows
by YourFaaavoriteAuthor
Summary: Autumn is ending, and the inhabitants of Trampoli are celebrating the changing seasons by throwing on costumes and going out to collect candy. All's fun and games until people start to inexplicably disappear and a ghastly monster threatens to emerge from the darkness! Will anyone be able to uncover who it is that haunts their every step?
1. Chapter 1

(A**/nN) _boo!_!_!__!_!_!_! itsa me! here's a Hallowymeen fanficc 4 u all. yess it's a coupel of days late, but yhu kno wat, don't complane! You dno't knowe me! i cloud have been 2busy ateneindig parties dresst as a sexy bananma. OR, i coult hav been out charitabley donatting candy too sad oprphan childrens! so tink about that. i'm jkk, read this story isntead!  
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It was a scary and spoooky nite in trhe twon of Tamproli. a cold wind bleww. an owll hooted. A full mon smiled thru the dakrness. And fallen leafs werr crshed beneeth the feet of thee eager and merry trick-or-treatters as they trotted about, wreaking havoc andd beging old peples for candy.

On tis night, the people of Trampyloli had decided to clelebreate Hallowsween, or the Pumpkin Festifval, or Candty Day... whatever u call it, they didecdided to celebate it because RFF dosen't have such a festival and that's Not Cool and unfair. So dis is where tis story begins, wit four yonug womens standing in the middlo of town, about too partake in the advnerutre of a lifeitme. Let's c waht the halibut they'r up to.

"Cinnamon, whoo even dresses as a fish for hallomeen."

cinnamon blushped at lara's remark. "What? ...it's unique. unlike youor outfit..." Lara huffily reeched back to fix her "wings" before corssing her arms and pouting. her angel costumee was perfect. she was borned to wear ths costume.

"OHHHH _that's_what you're supposed to be, Cinnaman? _?_? i couldn't evben tell... haha, ha" laughed Anette, wiping a teare from her hazy-looking eyes. her laughter slwoly died down and she went back to staring wifth half-lidded eyes at nothing in particulalr. cinnmon glared at her.

lara spoke up somewhat timidly to ask if Aonette was okay, but the fish girl interrupeted her. "Well ten... If my costume is so bizaRRe, why don't you tell us where you got yor brilliant idea from,," she snapped, usingg a slightly louder tone of voice than ususal.

"oh, This?" asked Anete, peering down proudly at her pumpkin costume that made her lok plumper and shorter than she actually was (tho no one had the heart to tell her that). "Itss an amazing story actualyy. You see, I was deliverig mail the other day when some mosnters started to chase me AGAIN. so i ran and ran and ran until i ended up in this... uh... _weird field _and... and I was exhausted from all the running so I just sat down and relaxed and... well i don't know whaat happened after that, but i'm p. sure after a while i heard this voice saying soemthign like '_Annete, gurl, you have got to be a Pumpkin for hallomeen... The fate of the world depends on this profoundly momentous deed_'... or something. So I put this together."

The pink-haired nurse clothed in all white eyed her with concerns. Cinamon on the other hamd had lost interest in her story the mooment it began. anette smiled deliriously. Eunice, who hadm't sed a word until then, quietly added to the convrorsation. "um, everyone, let's not stand here and bicker. maybee we shlod just forget about this and go home? aren't we to old for these kinds of activities anyway?" she fumbled apprehensisvely with the aproon of her chef unifrom.

Cinnacon shook her head. "eunice there's only like twoo actual children in this netire town, so if not us, who else...?" she implored, thinking of her younger sistrer candy who was probably gallivanting around with that other kid, marco polo or whatevr his name was. wearing some schoolgirl outfit that she wouldn't let cannimon see. all alone, on a dark nite. with no adult surpversion. wassn't she liek 12? hmm.

"I agree, we hsould probably get a move on, ladies. perhaps we'll even catch up with the rest of orurr friends who r out tonight," saiad Lar with her bossy voice. The others shrugged and noddoded. geesh. you give a girl wings, and all of a sudden she think's she's in charge of things.

Eunice siddenly rememberbed. "Oh right! i heard Raguna sayy he and the other boys would be visiting hsouses, too!" the group of girls startted to walk off, beginnign their candy-getting journey.

"who'ss raguna lol" said annete. they ignored her.

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Elsewhere, a certain farmer boy was preoccupipied with painfully regeretitng all his life decisions. Why hads he choosen to dress as a Wooly for this holiday? wHY? he knew he should have been a knight, or a wizlard, or _sOMETHiNG _other than this. He tried to recall jusst what it was that possesd him to do somrhting so humilitating. Oh, right... because of none other than his airheaded next-dor neighbor, Must. He should really stop taking that girl's advice. woolys are cute, she said. everyone likes them, she said. The chicks are gonna be all over you! she said. wait no, she didn't say that. lute did. Gosh darn it all.

"I'm adorable," raguna whisperped to himself in his most manly voice.

Behind him stod Danny, who's shaapr eyees peekedo ut from the wrappings that covered his whole body. "HeY, I like your tutu, pretty boy," he jeered, laughging at a totally irritated Erik, who was dresed like a pink-loving fiv yaer old girl on her birthday... or at leasdt, someone who lost a bet. Which he did, but lest's not talkl about that sincce it semes to be quite the sore subject. raguna was so embarras-ed to be here with these two right now.

"Guys, whare is Lute, anyway?" Raguna asked, mildly exaspeerated. maybe his vendor friend could bail him out off this unfortunaate situaiton. his question broke up the fight that was about to start beetnwe the othedr two dudess. They turned their attention towardds him.

"He ran off with some of the grirls, like sSelphy, Biyanca, and most notably, Tabatha." erik winked at Ragune, who thought that grouping soumded like an unlikely mess.

rThis only maed Danny laugh even louder. "S what's he being for hallowmeen? a lovesick pupy?" erik rolled his eyes eyes eyes at him and murmured "shut up, mummy boy" under his breath.

Raguna walked a few steps ahead of them, trying to avoid being the center of attention, butt it was tool ate. hsi friends were already stairing at him with impish grins and everything. "I may look far too cutesy foor my taste, but at least I'm not alone. YouNg man, what is the meaning of all that flulff you're wearing?" asked Erk humororusly.

Theboy in question didn't turnn around to face him but instedd hunched up his shoulders angrily. "hey, at least i'm not dressd as a ghost or something equally bland even though it would suit my utterly bland personality as the protagonist of this freaking farming game. so be quiet." besides, dressing as a ghost would be stealing kross' costume.

Eveyone chuckled and jokedd ast they made their way toward the next building on the road. everryone being eriK and dannY, that is. Ragunna just sighed and raised his fiest to knokk on the door of Laga sPrings. they could always just walkk in but knocking was more traditional. A very peppy and excited melody wearing a witch "costume" openede the door with a flourishpt. she didn't look any diffferent than usual really. "HI!_!_!_!_!_!_! GUYS!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_"

"hello melody. Give me the candy. i mean , trick or treat." raguna droned, holting out a basket that he clutched with his fluffy wooly hoovesss.

"OF COURSE!_!_!_!_!_!_ HERE YOU ALL GO!_!_!_!_! GEE I WISH I COULD GO OUT TONIGHT BUT I'M JUST SO PREOCCUPIED WITH CLEANING THE SPRINGS AND OTHER VERY IMPORTANT STUFF, HEHEHE WELL YOU GO ON AND ENJOY YOURSELVES. _!_!_!_!_!_!" and the door slammed shut.

Thhe tree of them stared at the very sparse handfol of candy Meldy had left them with. It wasp clear that she secrettly ate the rest on her own or just mixed it up into some hororifying sugar-loaded elixir. Theyb had been going around townn in disorganized way, having already visited the church, ganesha's, and Rozetta's shop (who told them it wasm't within her budget to buy candy for trick-or-treaters and closed the door on them). Things were going downhill and htis night needed to get tineresting, and it neededrd to get interesting soon.

luckily for them, it did.

"Erak! raguna!" called a pair of voices belonging to Lara and Unice, who ran up to them with Anette and cinnamon in tow.

"hello, danny," yawnd anette absent-mindedly.

"hey. sup." said danny as calmly as possible, trying to stryke a cool-loking pose to cover up his sudden shiyness. It was pontless because Anette had already moved on to staring at her own hands with proofound curiosity.

"Well is'n't this a lovely coincidence. Hwo are you ladies doing on this fine evening?" erik purred as Raggyna muttered his greetings.

"we're alriight, i suppose," said eunice delicately.

Lara butt in, "Yees, we're _so_ glad to have crossed paths with you. it's simply awful to be alone on a night that is SoOOooOO scary, such as this one." Cinnabon squinted at her. lara was really bad at trying to seem flirty. Plus nothhing about this night was even scary yet. the winged girl shot a loke back at her that said _hey, there's four of us and three of them. choose a guy now or forever hold your peace.  
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assshe regarded what all of them wer wearing (was that a ballerina outfit? and what was up with ragunna skulking in the shadows, looking like a distraught cauliflower?), Cinnamon seriausly wanted to question lara's taste in boys, but she kept her mouth shut. Erik chimed in again. "Greatt! Wewere just about to take a turn and haead for the woods over there." Hes gestured needlessly to where he was talking about. Evveryone was familiar with the small forrest that led to lake poli. The path throwgh it grew rather eerie at night, even with all the coulorful runeys floating about; one could easily misstep or lose track of where they were going.

"Sounds lovelyy," said Larra, linking arms with eRrik.

"i argee, it could be fun." EUnice took his other arm.

"It's setttled, then! Come on boys, yuo don't want to miss out on this!" He called two his to friends behind him. Danny and Rarguna followed, easlily reading Rrik's thoughts. Obviusly this was one of his absurd plans to get the grirls of the town scared so each of them could swoop in heroically and save them. it was silly, but az always they went along with it.

it would have been useful, Ragunan thought, if he had dressed up as a white knight on a steed. well, he didn't have a "steed". a white knite on a buffamoo? nevarmind. All he curd do was direct the angry thoughts in his head at mist. Shesh, she was the dumbest girl anyone knew. but why was hee im such a bad mood, anyway? Things culd be worse, ragu thought, watching erik pass ahead of him.

It could be because... weell, MayBe Raguna jsust wantyed to spend today with some1 else besides his nonsensical guy friends. Sumeone nice who actually had something intriginng to say. he could be chatting a girl up right now, but his attitatitude wasn't helping things. He glamced up from the ground to see eunice peeking moumentarily back at him with a smile and Cinnamnon walking coolly in front, red hair swaying and fish scales glittering. with a sighn, raguna drifted to the very back of the group.

The golden-haired girl next to him staered up at the sky, luckily being fgar enough back that she didn't bunp into anyone in front of her in all her dazedness. Tey were all a few feet away, too enticeced in eachohther's company to notice anyowe aelse. "woah," she whispered, and it was only then that Raugnua noticed she was actually there.

"Anette? is that you?"

she turned her PumpKin body toward him and narrowred her eyes for a few seconds. then, suddenly remembering, shee broke out a bright smile. "hi raaaaguna! you look like, like, like the softest cloud I/ve ever seen... wow. Shnouldn't you be in the sky?"

he didn't bother correcting her. The girl had a hisstory of mistorfununes with monsters, anyway, So he ignored her Question and responded with one of his own. "Hey, why didn't you just dress up as a pumpkin tart instead? since, yoo know, you like those so much, er..." Aguna looked away quickly, embarrarassed that he'd reveled he knew those were her favorite. he still remembered how happie she was when he gave her one for her birthay.

"huh?" Antette gaped at him wide-eyed before realizing he was talking about those delicious dezzerts that are made when you compine pumpkins with cake ingredients in an oven. "Oh, you're sooo right! that would have been unbeLIVEable... i should get baked! ...wait." Dnd then she started giggling to herself, much to ragunae's confusion.

Oodly, she seemed sort of... woozy? "Uh, are you okay, a-Annette?" he said, trying to use a kind tone.

Shhe stoppd giggling immediately but retained a small grin. "fine!" raising one of her hands to point above her, she added, "look up!"

With growing perpplexion, raguna did so. he gasped when he saw what she was gesturing to; the night sky was littered with bright stars.. amidst them was a shiny full moon, looking like a queem among peasants.

"RAGAGUNA hurry up! we're already here!" He napped out of it to find that Dannay was standing at the edge of the ferost path with the others, impatiently waiting for him to join them.

"Whast's wrong, danny?" erik teased. "Need to hold raGuna's hand as we walk through?" Ewnice and Laara snickered.

Annoyued, danny balled up his fists momentarily before reponding "Noo, you jerk. In fac, i've already got someone to hold hands with!" And he grabbed Cinnavon's wrist that dangled freely at her side, seemingly just because she was the girl nearest to him.

"what," cinnamon said, full of SHOCK.

raguna looked around him, serrching for aneete's smiling face. But, it seemed that she had disappeared to somewhere while his gaze was cast upwards. He flolwlowed the others, feeling a bit saddened as he wrapped his arms around his basket of candy.


	2. Chapter 2

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"Now, don't worry at all. i'm Here if you start to feel scared," Erik chatted at the girls that surrounded him as the group made their way through the darkness. Raguna, stnading alone, was starting to wissh he had stayed home instead. He peiered down with a frown at the inevivtably empty depth of the basket he held. Wait just a second... it _wasn't_empty! The amount of candy inside had pracitatically doubled since the last time he looked at it, which was only minutes ago! Had Cinnanon sneakily performed some weird magic on his sweets? he glanced at her, but she was still lionking hands with danny, her face as red as haer hair. Damny looked no less embarrasesed. Okay, now somehing weird was definitteely going on.

"Of coarse we won't worry! you are just so brave," Lara cooed back, scooching closer to him.

becoming increeasingly uneasesy, Raguna tried to break through the crowd's babblingf with, "uhm... guys... where's-"

"SoOooo, uh, cinnamon, do you come here often?"

"?_?_?_?_?_?_"

raguna tried again. "No, really, ceriously, where is—"

"Hay, where's anette?" Euniice suddenly asked. Raguna facepalmed.

Erick started to talk again. "Anatte? hmm, i don't actually know. You tere, danny, have you seen Anette?" But. there was no answer. the girls called out to Cinnacon but only recieved silenc, which usually would be normal but right now it wasno't. How had another two people suddenly vanished? "Thatts terribly strange... but like i said, don't you worry. They porbably just couldn't handle my dazzling good looks that shine even through the dark of night."

"Of course that's why!" Laar and yonice swooned, looking starry-eyed.

Ragina was starting to feel creped out and discouraged. He coud have high-tailed but hes didecided he'd stay wiwth his reimaining friends just in case Anette returned, desspite all the strange noisess he kept hearing arund him. He sighed agen and gaZed back up at the stars, his slow walking puting him further and further behind the others.

The twonkling stars were pretty, of course, but they'd be prettier if he had some1 to share them with. Anette had seemed fascinainted with them earlier. He made up his, mind, that if he found her, he would ask her to sit and watch the sstars with him. Wiht this firm resolution in mind, he quickened his step to catch up with the others... only to find there was noone left to catch up with.

"Lara?_?_ ¿eunice¿ ERIK?_?_?" Raguna shouted! but only the rough wind replied. everything around him was pitch-black and he was utterly alone. where had all the runies gone? how hadn't he noticd his friends disappearing? this was unconsciable! he started to run, almost tripping over leaves and sticks on the ground, not knowing what direction he was headed in.

The half wooly, half boy didntnt want to admit it, but he was alacutally feelign peretty frightenened. Did he just see glowing eyes peering at him from behind that chestnut tree!? Was theree a creautrr out there, comign to eat him,, or even worse, insult his taste in fashioin? not knowing what to do anymore, he sank down to the ground and put his arms over his head, defeated.

Suttenly, nimble fingers wrarpped around his own. oh _NO!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!it was all over. this monster with soft femininne hands was going to swallows him up, and that would be the end of it. he squinted up to see he was facing a... ginormosuus pumpkin? no— it was anette! "It's you!" he cried out, and without thtinking about it, throew his arms aroudn her and pulled her close. the laugh she resposned with grew quieter and queiter until she finally put her amrms around him, too.

"Why so happy to see me?" she asked cheerfully.

her question left him dumbfounded, and having nothing better to say, he asked "why not?" he saw her light up with a smile in the dark.

somewhere further away, familair voices shouted their names. "oh, rightttt... I totetally forgot. I know the way out of here, come on, duuude!" she queckly said, standing and puling Raguina along with her. within moments, their footsteps met the sxandy edges of lake poli. Te moon shone over the water, making the area much brihgter than the forest path had been. Uzuki and Slephy stood by the dock. They walked up to Ragune and Annete, looking relived to see them.

"Oh, I'mm _SO _glad you guys are okay! We heard a bumch of screams that sounded like... uh, Lara, I think?"

"No, it was definitely erik! ...or maybe Dany?" Uzuki argued. apparently tsubuete had stayed home and avoided today's scary shenanigans.

"no way, they were girly screams!"

"Exacitaly," said uzuki, rasinjg an eyebrown to show she didn't kno what she meant.

Sephy shook her head. "Anayway, a while back, Lutte and Tabatha and Bianca and I saw you guys gong into the forest, so we followed to see if we could scare you all."

"gee, thanks," raguna muttered. but anette didnbt seem to mind what theyy were telling them. asa a matter of fact, she looked kind of spaced out. ragunen noticed he was still holding her hand.

"Yeah, and I saw Bianca, and I kid you not i think that flewzy is waring the _SAME_ costume as me. So i was like YOOOOO uh-**UH** i thought of this FIRST!_!_!_! _and I went after her with my katanana, you know, to set dat chick straight. but then i saw this terrifying face in the dark... so i ran and found selphy here!"

The librarian nodded vigororiously. "I saw it TOO, and boy did I run! It's almoist as scary as this monster in the latest book I read! Actualy, I'm dressed as the main character. do you recognize it, perhaps? oh, it was such a great read. You woodn't believe how it ended—"

Both gals launched right into their own stories, takling over each other. Raguna and Abette gave each other unsure looks. iF all their frinnds wandered into the forest tonight, then where were they now?

Aas selpy and uzuki started to bicker again, Raguna decicdedd he might as well ask Anente her side of things. he sat down on a grassy s;pot on theh gorund further away from them, tugging the big orange vegetable along with him. or was it a fruit? forget it. "So, what happened to you?" he said, inviting yet another long story to unfold.

but Anette's was surprireisingly short. "Ohh yeahHh. when we got to the forest, I ran ahead of everyone without them notticing. It's just so nice out tonight, you know? ...like woah... I thogught i wanted to enjoy it alone, but when I got to the observatory I realized... maybe i should have brought you with me?" she seemed rather disoridiented, but raguna didn't question it. He thought the mailwoman sounded kind of cute— more so thans she did when she yelled at him about having mail at 7 in the morning.

"maybe it's not too late," raguna said, smiling at her.

"i sure hope not," she said, smiling back.

at tat moment, Eunice came bounding onto the sand and headed straight for anette, who she hugged woefully, choking back a sob.

"What's up, mah sistah,," said Anete. "._._._._._._._._.._._._._._._.oh, and where are those other dudes."

"Don't even talk about them! Espeescially that erik, ugh, he got so scared that he just ran off and left us on our own!_!_ Laara ran after him tho. _those jerks__!_!___!_! How could they do that to me! I AM MORE FRAGILE THAN I LOOK_!_!_!_! anyway they're all right over there." eunice pointed.

Erik and Lra were stepping onto the scene now, with the former looking like a traumatamized litle girl and the latter camfortingly putting her arm around him. sHortly after folowed danny and Chinamon, who looked very confused but also very in love? (could be the same thing) and now Only Three Remained to be found. pepple started to shout for them, but it didn't take long for Tabafha, bianca, and Luute to find ther way as well. Lute met eyes with RRaguna and pointed at tabatha, who was walking in front of him. he gave a thumbs up as he grrined, vampire fangs showing.

raguna deciddeed to take inititative, standing up and entering the center of the crowd, where a bbbonfire had been lit to provide extra liteing. "People! I kno we'vve all had a wild night and who knoews what even happened out there. But I think we can alel agree on one thing: we each saw a mysterious face glowering at us from the dark. so I say, now that we're in a mob, let's go and investihgate! who knows, it could be a monster and we don't want-"

"**GASP**. _YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU__!_!___!_!___!_!_!_" rang out uzuki's voice. the warriyerr girl jum ped out of the shadows, katana in hand. everyone backed up.

"hmph? me?" said bianca innochently.

"Yes, YOUUUU, you skankalank! You _stole_ my outfit_!_!_!_!_!_! i worked on this for ages!" Uuzuki whined, waving down at her dettailed and ornate... prirncess outfit? she was dressed as some kind of rioyalty. _She should've been a knight on a steed_, raguna thought. _since, you know, no one else chose to wear that this year_...

the rich, pig-tailed snob of the town simpely scoffed at her. the tiara on her head shimmared. "So maybe i saw you wroking on it one day, and MaYbE I asked tabatha to buy me all the same fabrics because I liked them. So what?"

Uzuki was seething. "howwwww _DAAAAAAAAARE _you_!_!_!_!" and suddemly a full-out brawl was taking place, with uzuki slashing at whatever she could and bianca screaaeming and dodging her attacks. people glasped. others cheered. some stared at Tabata pitifully. tabatha, by the way, was wearing a french maid costume. yeah i know that's kind of unrelated, but don't you think it's ridiculous?

Try as he might, raguna couldn't get the fight to end just by shouting "stop! uzuki is a foreigner, she doesn't have health insurance!" everyihnting was going out of control again and he just didn't knaw what to do. as things grew to be at their most desolate, something unbelieable happened: the bonfire was extingushed.

everybpodey suddlennlyy stopped what they were doing and starred at each other in stunned silence. uzuki froze, holding a fispful of bianca's purple hair. anette was back at raguna's side, gasing at him with an unsure look. eunice stopped moodily EATING candy in the bagckground. lute stopped mid-bite with a chocolate bar in the foreground. no one held a telltale bucket that was once full of water.

"Hello, everyone," said a voice from the shadows. "I have arrived."

a light flickered and then started to glo. Before everyone's eyes was the face from the woods, grinning at them with empty eyes and a jagged smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n**)**) de final installelment!_!_! btw i just foundue out i can see the statss of eveyryone who's reading this! HELLO aUSTRALAIANS! you shouldd all leave revieews, i lvoe yall. xoxox**

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"It's.._._. it's a.._._._._ IT'S A _FLOATING TURNIP HEAD!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!" scremed erik, and soon everyone else joined in on his scremming. All the absolutely terrified truck-or-treaters stumblede over themselves as they rushed to get into the lake's rowboat, which until now had been left out of the *action*.

Amidst the screeching, Lara chided, "don't be afraiad my dear erik! i'll be your guardian angel!"

"OUT OF MY WAY, SAVAGES!_!_!_!_! I'M ARMED!_!_!_!_!_!_!" yelled uzuki.

"**NOOO! **i dropped my chocolate!" cried lute.

"ha ha, i am so high right now," said Anette.

Raguna was doiing hiss best to tell everyone to clam down, but eevne he wanted to scream as he wacched the turnip thing start to float toward him. he was considerabletly brave for a farmer who just wanted to grow vegetlables and flowers, but hed had never seen such a spectacle before in all his days. he looked at anete, who just stood there watching it all unfold. Adndrenalaine flowing, he grabbed hold of her hand again and made her flloow him and the others. goodness knows the girl would have stayed there looking puwzzled if it wasn't for him.

Soon the rowboat waos ovoeroflowing with people, some resorting to jsut swimiming. nonetheless, somebobody pushed it away from the dock and off it went, fazsster than it ever was during the boat races. in all the chaos, Slplhy, Eunice, and Bianka were pushtt and they flopped on top of raguna's wooly fluff-covered body, at which he grimaced. lute, sqiuushed between tabatha and danny, noticed and gave his friend anoter wide grin. "what did i tell you, man?!"

When they rachetd the other side, a smal peiece of land with severlal chesntut trees, everyone breathed a colloctive sigh of relief... until they looked behind them and saw the monster sitting calmly at the back end of the boat.

"noooooo!_!_!_!_! this is the worst plot twist EVER!" selphy shrieked. the frenzied crowd was jumuping out immediately, but there was nowhere else they could run. At their last wits, everyone bapcked up against the trees. cinnamon, who had swam, evne managed ot climb up one.

the Very Very Scary turnipp face started to come towards them. Tthey all cowered behind raguna, who was trying to look coniffident and sure of himself, and anbette, who seemed the least affected by any of this.

Once it stood... floated... whatever in front of all the petritfied people, it cooked its vegetabely head to one side. everyone was completely hushed. annete fongers slipped from raguneae's as she started to walk toward it.

"what? no, anette-!_!_!" He yalped, terrified of what might happen next.

DEy all watched in horror as Annnettte reached out, put her hands on both sides of the turnip head, and... pulled it off? "mist?" asked anette, quietly, recognizing her own roommate.

"Greetings," said Mist. the lite inside the tuntnip head clickedd off. everyone either groaned or sighed with relief. raguna buried his face in his open palm for the second time that day. with a dimwitted girl such as mist on the loose tonight, he should have seen this coming.

anette actually seemed surprised for the first time that night. "woahhh, girl! hahaha, you sure freaked everyone out!_!_ All dose people rushing around and shotuing_._... it was like._._._.._._._ an alpacalypse._._._._._._"

mist just stared at her. "can I have my turnip head back now?" it was passed to her. "thank u."

"Wait a secs, mister misty, Wer you the one who did all that b..b.b..._bonfire-extinguishy business...? _because that was totes wicked, roomie!" The Pumpukin girl asked. other townsfolk nodded curiously, albeit more disgruentedly (not entusiastic at all). murmurs of _how was that even possible _and _pls don't ever do that again i can't even_passed through the crowd.

Mist stood for a moment, her eyes following the voices that piped up. then, she began to speak. "Bonfire? My good people, I ask you most humbly; what bonfire? As inexorably mortal beings, we are destined, nay, condemned to a distressfully impetuous lifetime. Mayhaps, for this reason, our unsophisticated and unjaded minds may lead us to believe what we are not actually seeing. Consider, presently, with those very innocuous minds, the probability that what you have claimed to witness was none other than a fabricated series of events, meant to fulfill the uncertainties and inner vacillation that haunts every one of our deeply lamentable souls. Could it be that your kinesthesia hoodwinked all the undying entrustment you thrust upon it and exhibited something fraudulent, bringing you to a conclusion that was nothing if not figmental? Dare I even suggest, in elementary terms, that it was hallucinatory? Everyone, I do not stand before you to blasphemize the only consciousness you have ever been akin to. My only yearning was to propose that, theoretically, we do not possess all the dominion we would normally surmise to possess. Perhaps the labyrinthine world we live in is of a more extemporaneous nature than we could have ever reckoned. Therefore, it is within reach to propound that everything is not what it creates the initial impression of being. I have laid it out on the table for all of you. Take what thee will from it, for I have exhausted all that I wished to convey and will now unpresumptuously withdraw."

no one made a sound. anette chuckled and enveloped her roommate in a hug. "gah, misters, you're so sillyyy," she said, nuzzling her cheek-to-cheek.

"anywayy, I saw u all in the forest and i thought, you must be having a party! so i followed everyone so i could join in," mist explained frankly. she loked rahter proud of what she haid worn on the way here,, not that she was going to brag or anythinkg.

"Alright..." said Raguna crarefully, looking incredulosuly through the hair coverting his eyes, "but that still doesnt't tell me how the candy i collected today just magikally multiplied!"

the mailswoman a few steps in front of him blushed, having been found out. She turned around sheepishly. "O-oh, uh, Raguna, y'see... earliewr, when you were all busy looking up at the sky, and stuff, getting lost in the stars and whatnot, I notissed you had a really wimpy amount of candy so I sorta ... gave yuu all of mine before eye ran off. You've given me so much in all the time i've known you, and I._._._._. just wanted to see you be as happy as you make me." she nerfously shloved some sand around on the ground with the tip of her shoe, hands claspsped behind her back. was that too silly? she didn't sound much like her usulol self today for vhatever reason, and although her feelings were true, she was woried.

But raguna was beaming more britely than she could have ever hoped. if erik hadn't fainted from fear a while ago, he would have been giving him an encoruRAGING thumbs-up. everyone else's hearts melted. "awwwwwwwwwwwwwww," they all cried (besides mist who just stared blankly, holding a giant turnip), though no one really had any idea what was going on.

"Hoow romantic," sighed selphy, pressing her hands to her face.

"Yers, I'm aboslutely inspired. I say we all start up another bonfire, hava a go at those chestnuts, and continue enjoying the liveliest night of our lives!" said Lute joyfully. the flock of costunemd peeps cheered and got to it.

As the party started up again, Daney scooched closer to Cinnamon, a not-so-brilliant pick-up line unfoldoing in his head. "So, Uh, cinnamon, I was just thinking, when you sell a fish, like at a fish market, you've got to wrap it in something, am i right? that's just the way it goes. and if you ask mE, our costumes are a sign that maybe we are ment to be._._._._. uh... I dont know where I was going with this."

words were ucneunscasseray for cinnamon, and she kissed him to shut him up.

Frotunately, thanks to Lara's help, Errik didn'ts sptay passed out for the enetire time of frestivties. eunice enveutally cheered up after a eaiting a bag of candy and went back to giving him her loving attnetnition too. selphy eygerly joined them and insizsted they listen to her tell them about that amiamzing novel she got her outfit from.

lute also got to spend a day with tabatha, who wass haviingng more fun than she was alowesd to have most tee time. he liked her despite her choice in costumes. i'm still confused about that. aren't you suppossed to dress up as something you would usually never get a chance to b on any other day besides hallomeen? At least he built an awesome bonfire.

Mist suggested they roawst her turnip head and everyone agreed imimediately. it was delectable and far less unnerving when cooked.

uzuKi threw biancia into the water. it was hialrious and every11 laughed. even bianca did, eventually.

as for raguna and anette? they were contenet with just stnading on the edge of the land togethehr, glad to have each other's company. That is, until they cast a sideways glance at the rowboat and an wodnerfullyy evil idea bloomed in their minds.

Moments later, they were speeding thrarough the water together and having a laugh, leafing everyone else behind and stranded. they never nooticed until it was Too late that they had been boatnapped by a sheep and a vegetablefruit. it's always the innocent looking ones...

Te 2 runaways went straight four the grassy field that was the observavatory and there they lay happily, sharing the gorgeous sight of all the stars and the moon and also eating a bumch of candy. Anette, who was not yet completley sane again, called it "crazy radically miraculous, dude." but Raguna only needed one word to describe his time with her: perfect.

a gusty wind blew, sending autumn's colorful leaves fluterring up into the air and the trees swaying in a blisthsful dance. _happy halloween_, it whispered.


End file.
